Travis MarMon
When I was a first-year in 2010, Party on the Green was the first thing that got me truly excited about college. Foxy Shazam!, a band that I was already a fan of, was the headliner that year. Though I was quite disappointed that they didn’t play any songs from their Queen-meets-soul-meets-hardcore debut “The Flamingo Trigger,” they played a spectacular set that attendees still talk about to this day. The underrated rapper Rhymefest played as well, and he put on a solid performance.
Spring Fest that year was less exciting for me personally, but headliners Best Coast were at least making waves in the indiesphere and had a fanbase on campus. On top of that, my older friends constantly praised Spring Fest 2009, featuring such notable names as RJD2, Wale and K’naan. The Voice archives reveal that Blackalicious once played here. Even Bruce Springsteen has played the College (long before anyone knew who he was)! Although our fair school is located in the middle of nowhere, it seemed that I could count on W.A.C. to deliver something great every semester.
Unfortunately, those expectations have yet to be fulfilled in the years since. Every fall and spring we wait with baited breath for the next great on-campus concert, only for the artist announcement to land with a dull thud. The Dean’s List. DJ Skeet Skeet. Stepdad. Who are these guys? Does anyone get excited for them? Does anyone remain a fan after the show? The most famous artist I’ve seen on campus since my first year was Savoy Brown who, even in its 1970s heyday, were far from rock royalty. They played Lowry’s Ballroom on a Wednesday night to a few dozen curious students.
I’m not trying to make any enemies in W.A.C. I realize that their jobs are not easy and that the artists they get are rarely their first choice. Money and touring schedules are difficult to plan around, and it’s tough to find music that appeals to everybody. But it’s disappointing to watch people pretend to get excited about acts whose critical acclaim doesn’t go beyond a local newspaper and whose claim to fame is collaborating with an awful pop-punk band. This is especially sad when we are just a few years removed from some truly great performers.
I am not arguing that popularity is directly correlated to quality. I am a music nerd to a frightening degree, constantly delving deep for new bands to put on my iPod. But at the risk of sounding like That Guy, if I haven’t heard of it, I doubt that anyone else on campus has either. That doesn’t mean we can’t all have fun at Party on the Green or Spring Fest (Saint Motel was a pleasant surprise), but I want nothing more than to finish my college career with a show to remember. I’ve been told that rappers on Rhymesayers Entertainment are affordable. Here’s hoping that W.A.C. can get back on its old level.